The present invention relates to a plant-growing method and more particularly, to a new method for growing grape vines in root control containers permanently planted in previously existing solid waste landfills.
As a result of the demand for increased uses of all lands, reclamation of previous uses of land for abandoned mines, quarries, landfills, and hazardous waste sites, spoiled by all manner of contaminants, continues to increase. This trend started as a result of a few projects that demonstrated how, with proper engineering and construction, sites that no one wanted could become parks, golf courses, or other recreational facilities.
Land reuse is an important consideration in landfill design. The fact that human activity is expected and even encouraged on a final landfill site requires that more critical attention be given to its design. The anticipated final use of a landfill for parks, golf courses, bicycle paths, and nature areas will require using compatible materials in the cover; perhaps modify the topography and selecting vegetation that is appropriate for its end use. Engineered landfill covers have been employed only in the last few decades. Nearly all landfill covers in place today are conventional, barrier-type landfill covers. Conventional covers employ barrier technology and typically include five layers above the waste. The top layer consists of cover soil that is typically a minimum of 24 inches thick and normally supports a grass cover that provides wind and water erosion control. The second layer is a drainage layer that quickly removes any water that percolates through the cover soil. This water is stopped by the underlying barrier layer. The barrier layer consists of either a single low-permeable barrier or two or more barriers in combination. The fourth layer is the gas control layer that is required under the barrier to remove landfill gasses before they accumulate in harmful amounts, i.e. landfill gas may be collected for reuse or burned (flared) at or adjacent to the landfill location in order to minimize risks to offsite exposure and fire or explosion hazards. The bottom layer is of variable thickness and material, and provides a foundation for cover construction. It separates the waste products from the cover and establishes sufficient gradient to promote rapid and complete surface drainage from the finished cover. To insure adequate surface drainage the surface slope should be at least 2.5% after landfill settlement.
It is the construction of the cap or cover that is the most problematic for growing anything other than grasses, small shrubs, etc. Shallow rooted vegetation allows for cover stabilization, erosion prevention, and minimizes the aesthetic impacts that would be present with a large mound of bare ground. These landfill mounds may be many acres in size and often have significant slope area. The use of landfill mounds for the growing of deep rooted plants would dramatically increase the depth and cost of the final cap and could result in root penetration and disruption of the integrity of the cap. In particular, grapes (vitis vinifera, vitis riparia, and related species) have roots which can penetrate the soil 12′-15′ or more and the soil cover or cap on the landfill may be in the order of 3′-4′ at best. Due to the landfill contents, root penetration of the grapevine into buried materials is detrimental to the health of the vine and could result in the uptake of bio-accumulative chemicals that could be passed along to the fruit.
Due to both late (spring) and early (fall) frost susceptibility, vitis sp, are frequently planted on hillsides or terraced areas so that cooler air, being denser than warmer air, may drain down slope minimizing the opportunity for ice crystals to form and damage buds, leaves, and growing shoots. Hillside and sloped land, particularly with southern exposures may be put to a variety of other uses, including orchards, residential development or recreational. In urban areas, the best economic use of sloped land may not be agricultural but rather residential development.
Therefore, what is needed is a method of planting grapevines that manages the issue of root control as a means for allowing the planting of grapevines in landfills while preventing intrusion into the landfill contents.